2000 Chevrolet Malibu Base V6 from North America

Summary:

Seems nice, but has constant mechanical problems and becomes a nightmare after 100k miles

Faults:

Brakes and rotors wear out once a year.

Fuel pump died out of the blue.

Engine mount bracket broke for no reason.

Severe coolant leaking problem.

Shaking at speeds above 70 mph.

Weird rattling noise from back left of car when turning.

ABS light is constantly on, even if nothing is wrong.

Turn signals worked when they felt like it (were recalled and fixed by dealer).

Main drive belt spontaneously broke.

Tires wear out at least once a year.

Car frequently has difficulty starting.

Yesterday, automatic transmission stopped working properly. The engine revs at high speeds and doesn't shift right away. Took it to my mechanic today and am awaiting the bad news.

Both front door speakers in 2008.

Cigarette lighter stopped working.

All this and much much more I can't even remember.

General Comments:

I've had this car for almost 6 years. When I first got it, it seemed like a great car, but things quickly went downhill. In the past few years, this car has left me stranded on the side of the road more times than I care to remember.

In the past 2 years, something serious and expensive has broken/stopped working every few months. As soon as I get the current problem diagnosed/fixed, I'm getting rid of this car.

It has turned into a nightmare. I've spent almost as much time driving other people's cars as my own in the last 6 months.

However, if I can manage to forget about all the mechanical issues, I really do like this car. It's fun to drive, with quick pickup. It's comfortable, roomy, has good sound from stock speakers (though I recently had to replace both front door speakers after they died), and has good visibility. My personal two favorite features are the ignition's location in the dash, and the cup holder located just to the left of the steering wheel.

Driving the Malibu is not all fun and games though. Its handling on slippery surfaces is positively terrible. The only accident I have ever had was due to sliding off a wet road. Tires spin when pulling out from a stop on wet roads, even with the lightest acceleration.

Another big complaint is that the base model of the 2000 Malibu comes standard with practically nothing. You get a radio with a clock. No CD player, not even a tape deck. No power windows, locks, etc. The most basic of basic.